Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-06-30
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II
The train that rushed out OF the
wide winding suburbs Of Washington
down into Virginia, in the dawn Of q cold
February morning was filled with north
erners going TO New Orleans. They had,
oddly enough, the alert, expectant air of
explorers into an unknown country. The |
men looked ont on the sleepy streets of |
Alexandria with as critical eyes as II il |
had been itH namesake 10 Egypt, and the |
women buttoned their tight uisters more |
closely, and slung their alligator satchels |
70 their sides in readiness for any emer
gency.
They were intelligent people OF the
class who have leisure; they were familiar
with tho upper range Of states many Of
them ran over 10 Europe or to California
every summer. But this three-cornered
segment Of their country, which had a
climate, history and character of its own,
was foreign to them az Arabia Felix.
II was IN the south 80 years ago." said
one 1dgety old gentleman. ''Yisited
college found in eastern Virginia. Queer
lifel Great scrambling house in large
plantation, crowded with guests leaky
roof, magnificent old family plate, patched
carpets, negroes swarming everywhere.
Saddled horses hitched always by the
door in case you wanted to cross fields
! Old families, each with its cont Of arm
and pride of birth. The most generous,
unlnethodicai, kindly people in the
WORLD
The old gentleman in his enthusiasm
tookoff his silk travelling cap, letting the
cold wind blow over his bald head with
ia fringe OF gray hair. His wife-a
pudQy, prim little woman replaced il
, with, You forget, my dear !"
"Yes, yes. forgot I'm broken.
down old invalid when think of those
days. II makes me lad again TO get
into the South, turning to his listening
peighbors. fI've been pastor of q church
: IN westorn New York for 40 years, you
see. Never took holiday. Some chronic
trouble set in last fall, and the doctors
said Europe. &y people raised the money
"a once. But l said, ri 60 south and
rest No Europe for me. Why, gentle
& men, in all the drive and struggle of
+ It's 40 years the remembrance of all
the leisure and quiet, the laziness If you
like, of the south has come before me
like glimpse of the Isles OF the Blest
Life there il not oil money getting. They
take it as they CO."
His companions listened to the eager
talk of the garrulous old fellow with
asserting mods and smiles, he being one
of those people to whom the world in all
OF its humors says yes and smiles. But
they did not all agree withshim. Having
the usual large careless good -humor of
the American, they had no lingering
gruage or bitterness against the south
because Of the war. But il was alien to
them, as it had always been they were
mon whose occupations and thoughts ran
in fixed and narrow futs, and like the
great mass of average northerners they
knew the south only through long ago
reoollections or hearsay traditions. 1t
was In their minds vague tropical
stretch of sugar and cotton and rice fields,
peopled by indOlent, arrogant men and
naughty, languid women, their feet still
= firmly set on the neoks Of the negro race.
The names of the stations, too, began
to recall the fact that they were in a once
hostile country, and among people who
bad been their foe. AS the conductor
shouted .sFairfax,m s.Manassas, "Cul
pepper" they looked out eagerly OF the
snow-covered fields and the implanted
wooden station-houses which replaced the
brick Queen Anne villas affected By
northern railways, expecting to find some
thing novel and foreign.
A puTsy young man from Chicago wa
superciliously calling attention to thu
worm fences, the lean fields, the forlorl
houses, as
HWretehedly poor, sir Now there i
really no excuse for such poverty. Eve
grant that the state was laid waste by th
war. All that was 40 years ago. Twent
years is enough for any man to get upo
his legs again.
at is all due TO lack Of energy ~ d.
eisiyely said elose-shaven, trig Iittl
iron-master from Pennsylvania. ''W
all know the south. Some of the bet
books in American literature are Ciescril
tons of these people. Did you ever req
Uncle TOMS Cabin or "A Fools Errand
They show you that more indolent, il
capable, pig-headed race never breathed
The men spend their time in idling, due
ing and drinking. The women are merel
lovely, helpless babies"
''Mr. Ely, the old clergyman with q
indignant snort, Rirded himself to max
G.td9, 9l ~ lut alJtntAt tho ira
Stcppt Z he suhuSbd 81 tnAgi lttevip
Gsae.s gireaig raU M inf ulepirt ny Is
town, back of whose peaked roofs rol
the snowy hills. A crowd Of studen
from the University filled the platform
An elderly man, after much hend-shakir
with them, entered the ear
'tHellol" said Mr.. Ely; t'snrely kno
that face, Sarah? Except for the baI
head" He bristled up. ~ beg pa
don. 1t is long time ago. But are "
not Wollaston Pogue? | am James 81
Don't You remember? / visited II
Medllls in Accomac in So, and you--n
"Bless my soul OF course remembe
Why, my dear sir, 1 am glad to soc "
back in Virginia. And how has the wor
used You in oil these years ?"
"Well, well roughly enough sa
Ely, with q sigh. lie had, in fact.
comfortable nome, and until lately SOU
health, yet as the two men sat side
side, il was the anxious, loan northern
who most looked like the victim of
destructive war. The Yirginian was
stout, ruddy, overgrown boy. Prospect
apparently oozed out of every pore, fro
the red fringe of hair about his shini
pate to his beaming spectaclod eyes, al
the gurgling laugh of pnre enioyme
that bubblad ont every minute.
"ChaEges2" he said, rubbing his knt
meditatigely, as Ely Piled him with du
tlons. ''Oh, great changes! Neeessari
The houses in which yuu visited hnye
passed from the old families except /
Grange. That ID place II summer
sort kept by Mrs. Leigh
Not thAt lovely Anna Page who m
Iiad Joe Leighgn
The very same beautiful ms a fireo
wasn't she Bnt she il making mon
fast, keeping boarders. The house v
torn out by the Yan-by one Of
armies. After the surrender that won
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